Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Christa Bikes By The Sea

We received this lovely email from Christa, who runs the sunny happy blog in Southern California: Bike by The Sea. Thanks for sharing with us Christa!!

- - -My love for cycling simmered over several years. The bicycle was my main mode of transportation while studying at UC Davis. Cycling became natural. It was practical, social, and fun. I experimented with cycling in the winter, carrying bulk, and cycling for the sake of exploring the city.

-Cycling Around Davis-

Every time I visited my native Southern California though, I saw it lacked bicycle infrastructure and the bike-culture. Still, I would hop on my bike. It was a new view of my home. Seeing the disparities between Davis and Southern California, I decided not to take cycling for granted!

In a final class, I studied sustainable cities in Northern Europe. After studying Copenhagen, Freiburg, and Stockholm with the class, I researched other bicycle-friendly cities including Vienna and Zurich. It was easy to rent a bike, investigate the area, and socialize with others (even if we spoke different languages).

-Cycling Around Davis-

Upon my return to Davis, I compiled a video of innovative bike infrustructure: A Bicycle Story. I entered the video into the Fit-City Competition and it later won along with four other entries. The prize was a trip to Sydney, Australia and an opportunity to participate in the 2008 Oxford Health Alliance Summit. It was wonderful! I learned about global public health issues, met great friends, and toured Sydney for two weeks. Also, I was thrilled to meet an associate from Gehl Architects, an urban design firm from Copenhagen.

Now I am living in Southern California again. Determined to share my love for cycling and inspire others, I created a blog on SoCal Cycle Chic, Bike by the Sea.